


don't try so hard

by Stein



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: (probably), Crack Treated Seriously, Drama, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Monsta X Bingo, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-07-28 18:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7652086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stein/pseuds/Stein
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In retrospect, pretending to listen to whatever the hell Minhyuk had been talking about while secretly not paying attention because he was busy sending random messages to his best friend hadn’t been one of his brightest moments.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from Fire, BTS. _~~i know~~_
> 
> The prompt I got was angel/devil au. Then, as I am a mess and have no self-control, I used my ~~one and only goodbye son~~ jail-free-card and changed it to fake dating au because who doesn't love fake dating au? ~~maybe a lot of people idk lET ME BE HAPPY D:~~
> 
> Anyway, I'm rambling. Thing is: honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing. ~~sorry~~
> 
> All the typos are my own. ~~english isn't my mother tongue but shhh~~ ( ~~though please, do tell me if there's something absurd~~ )  
> I hope you enjoy the ride, because this is gonna be a rollercoaster :D

Jooheon’s not a particularly bad friend — not really. Yeah, he’s not that useful when it comes to giving life advice, but hey, cut him some slack, he’s, like,  _ 20 _ ; he barely knows what to do with his own life, much less with someone else’s. And maybe he doesn’t pay enough attention to things Minhyuk says when he’s not bawling his eyes out or something, but no one can judge him because even  _ Shownu _ zones out when the other starts rambling too much — and Minhyuk  _ never _ stops; Jooheon has no idea how he has so much to talk about, because, honestly.

Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is: Jooheon’s already gotten in a lot of trouble for not paying enough attention to what Minhyuk says. A  _ lot _ . And while Minhyuk jokingly claims that’s because he’s a horrible, horrible friend, Jooheon should probably know that at some point he was going to get really  _ fucked _ because of it.

(said moment comes two weeks after Shownu’s 22nd birthday party)

  
  


He wakes up to his phone chiming nonstop, and groans, face half-buried in the soft cushions of the sofa. His back hurts — probably from sleeping in a weird way again —, and the TV’s still on from some superhero movie of sorts he had been watching the day before. He lazily looks around for the controller — tiny thing’s nowhere to be seen —, before another series of sounds coming from his phone remember him why he woke up in the first place.

Jooheon groans again when he unlocks the screen — eight in the fucking morning, the ungodliest hour of day, and the brightness of the screen makes his eyes start watering — and realizes he has about 30 new messages on his KakaoTalk — from Shownu, Wonho, Hyungwon, I.M, even people he hasn’t seen in weeks like Kwangji, Minkyun and Seokwon, this all without counting the still ongoing ones from Gun. He’s confused; and maybe a little bit worried, if he’s being honest, because usually the only one poking him around on his messages is Gun — but Gun’s his best friend, so that’s to be expected. The others, not so much.

Not being one to beat around the bush for too long — just enough time to prepare himself psychologically for whatever the hell it is —, Jooheon starts by the messages he’s sure will have serious content before checking on what Gun is talking about.

 

**kwang.ji:** minhyuk told us the news

**kwang.ji:** (yoonho sends hey)

**kwang.ji:** we’re really happy for you guys :)

 

**skwon:** congratulations!

 

**kyunnie:** yoosu thinks you two took long enough

**kyunnie:** (we should make a double date next time :D)

 

**i.m.:** not really sure if it was your intention having Minhyuk tell us but

**i.m.:** congratulations :D

**i.m.:** (really wish you had told me, though; you know I would’ve supported you since the beginning, right?)

 

**c.hyungwon:** stop stealing my roommate from me D:

**c.hyungwon:** (lies, you can have him)

**c.hyungwon:** (pls, take him D:)

 

**shownu:** Mihyuk’s probably told half of Korea already

**shownu:** (I couldn’t stop him, sorry)

**shownu:** Congratulations, by the way

 

**wonho:** oh my god i can’t believe you didn’t tell us right away

**wonho:** jooheon

**wonho:** !!!

**wonho:** (think of all the jokes i could’ve made D: you’re making me sad)

**wonho:** (you two look cute, tho)

 

Jooheon frowns. None of those make any sense to him — he doesn’t remember winning anything these last days, and what the hell are Hyungwon and Wonho even talking about? Wonho he usually doesn’t take seriously, but even Hyungwon?

More confused than ever, he goes to his conversation with Gun, noticing there’s three messages from last night he probably slept without seeing.

 

**gun.hee:** wonho’s been looking strangely at me

**gun.hee:** do you think i did anything?

**gun.hee:** i honestly don’t remember

 

And then the more recent ones:

 

**gun.hee:** dude

**gun.hee:** dUDE

**gun.hee:** what did you do

**gun.hee:** why is minhyuk here

**gun.hee:** it’s eight am

**gun.hee:** I WANT TO SLEEP

**gun.hee:** LEE JOOHEON

**gun.hee:** YOU BETTER NOT BE SLEEPING AND IGNORING ME RIGHT NOW

**gun.hee:** (you totally are, i can’t believe you)

**gun.hee:** oh my god

**gun.hee:** what is even happening

**gun.hee:** lee jooheon you better have a good explanation

**gun.hee:** shit’s getting wild

**gun.hee:** WHY IS SHOWNU ON MY KITCHEN

**gun.hee:** YOUR ROOMMATES ARE ON MY KITCHEN

**gun.hee:** OH MY GOD

**gun.hee:** WHY THERE ARE PEOPLE THREATENING ME

 

Jooheon has no idea what’s happening — except for the fact that all of his friends are crazy, apparently. Knowing Gun’s the only one who’s not going to stop sending him messages until he answers them, he types quickly, and then stretches, wishing he had woken up in the middle of the night and gone back to bed — then at least his body wouldn’t be so sore.

 

**joohoney:** just woke up

**joohoney:** what r u talking about

**joohoney:** (who’s threatening u?)

 

The reply comes not even a second later.

 

**gun.hee:** minhyuk?

**gun.hee:** and shownu

**gun.hee:** apparently

**gun.hee:** ????

**gun.hee:** my own roommates i think

**gun.hee:** idk anymore

**gun.hee:** save me

**gun.hee:** D:

 

Jooheon scrunches up his nose. Gun’s terrible. Jooheon has no idea what he did this time, but if even Shownu and Kwangji are backing up Minhyuk — well. Not like he can do much, since they are his hyungs as well, and he  _ knows _ Shownu doesn’t just go around lecturing people about their lives — he’s too shy for that. Kwangji tends to be bold, but he’s actually rather sweet, and Jooheon knows he won’t let anyone be mean to Gun. All in all, whatever he did, it could be honestly worse.

 

**joohoney:** sorry

**joohoney:** no can do

 

And then, smirking softly at his phone, he sends one last message before locking the screen again and going to his bedroom — he honestly needs to go back to sleep.

 

**joohoney:** have a sweet death :)

 

(that’s when shit goes down, probably. in retrospect, Jooheon may, in fact, be a horrible, horrible friend)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~is that drama/angst and lots of pining i see coming in the distance? *squints*~~


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ~~i lied about the angst~~ ~~there is only crack~~ ~~it's still gonna be a rollercoaster tho~~
> 
> This was supposed to have been posted _way_ earlier ~~yesterday morning actually~~ but I couldn't finish it in time D: sorry D:  
>  I honestly have no idea what to say about this chapter? I mean, I had a plot, but things _changed_ and suddenly I have _another plot_ and the characters kinda went with it and I??? am??? confused???  
>  BUT  
> anyway  
> I'm rambling ~~I tend to do that a lot~~  
>  I would like to thank all of you who subscribed, commented and gave this kudos! :D  
> I hope this chapter can... I don't know, fulfill your expectations? Make you laugh? Something between the two? D:

Jooheon is tucked in his bed, hidden inside the blankets (and looking like a burrito, but that’s not the point), sound asleep, when Gun comes inside the room. For a second he only stares at his best friend — his _traitor_ of a best friend, actually —, considering not waking him up — traitor, but his best friend nonetheless —, but it’s a short lived feeling — Jooheon did, in fact, abandon him to suffer at Shownu, Minhyuk and Kwangji’s hands.

Now, mind you, Gun’s not usually one to care for this kind of thing, but Jooheon could’ve at least _warned him_ . Unless the prank _is_ on him, of course, which wouldn’t make any sense — Jooheon’s supposed to team up with him, not the other way around, what the hell. Even _Minho_ has sent him a congratulatory message, and he hasn’t seen Minho in _weeks_.

(now, how on Earth has Minhyuk gotten Minho’s phone number, Gun doesn’t even want to _know_ )

He’s racked up his mind trying to find a reason — anything, really — as to why Jooheon wanted to play a prank on him — and came up with nothing, of course, he’s an _amazing_ friend, thank you (unlike some ungrateful people who will let him to be threatened by Shownu, does Jooheon that Shownu is actually scary when he wants to? And Minhyuk hit him with a spoon when he vehemently denied it, a _spoon_ , what kind of person even _does_ that?!). Yeah, maybe he shouldn’t have sided with Kihyun that one time they went to the movies, but it was _one time_ and the movie wasn’t even a horror movie — it kind of had some ghosts in it, but Gun didn’t _know_ , and that was _months ago_.

Anyway — it’s not like overthinking about it will give him any answer. Gun narrows his eyes at his best friend, and considers his next course of action.

(which is why he decides to let Jooheon sleep for another hour or so — dammit his soft heart!)

(and dimples)

(why the hell his dimples have to show up even when he’s sleeping, _why_??)

  


 

 

It wasn’t Gun’s fault — not really, no matter what Jooheon may think (and by the way he’s looking at Gun right now he probably thinks it was, but it was _not_ ). If Jooheon hadn’t _jumped on him_ — and honestly, why did he _do_ that? —, Kihyun wouldn’t — _well_ , he probably wouldn’t (but that’s _probably_ because you can never be sure with Kihyun) — have screamed and then covered his eyes while swearing like the old granny from that movie Jooheon made him watch last week (which was quite beautiful but _not the point_ ) and _holy something_ , they weren’t doing anything! (Gun didn’t even know Kihyun knew so much swear words, like. What the hell.)

Yeah, it was a compromising position — _kinda_ —, but c’mon, he and Jooheon do it all the time!

Wait. That came out wrong. Thing is: it’s not like he and Jooheon don’t act like they’re joined at the hip, and Kihyun has seen Gun do worse things to wake Jooheon up — and vice-versa —, so there’s no reason to overreact like he did. Unless he’s _also_ participating on the prank, in which case, _what_ (Jooheon _knows_ getting Kihyun to help him is unfair and breaks, he doesn’t know, some friendship rule or something, because Kihyun is like, King of All Pranks — not even Wonho can beat him to it, and Wonho is, well, _Wonho_.)

Anyway. Gun listens carefully — he can hear Kihyun murmuring something along the lines of “my eyes, my _eyes_ ” and the sound of him moving around the tiny kitchen from the apartment — before turning to look at Jooheon, who, mind you, is still looking at him as if Gun has just run over his Majin Boo plushie with a tractor (as if Gun would _ever_ do that — Jooheon loves that thing, it would be an ultimate betrayal or something).

.”Oh my god, are you serious right now?” he groans when he realizes just staring at his best friend is going to do him no good — Jooheon is still pouting. “Really? I was the one supposed to be mad at you, dude!”

“What?” Jooheon frowns at him, apparently confused — or maybe it’s just because he’s sleepy (Gun would bet it’s because he’s sleepy) . “You were the one who woke me up, not the other way around!”

“But you deserved it!” the first argument would be to talk about being threatened by his roommates, but Gun’s mouth doesn’t work at the same pace his mind, so obviously what comes out of his mouth is: “You were the one planning behind my back and telling all of our friends that we’re dating! I mean, I know you think I’m handsome and all, but you could’ve at least asked me out for dinner before confirming our relationship status, dude.”

Now, Jooheon is kinda slow after he wakes up. Gun knows this. So, yeah, he’s not expecting a long, cohesive, coherent explanation — not even an explanation at all, since he thinks he got most of things after that weird shovel talk thing with him being hit with a spoon and all —, but something along the lines of “as if”, which is undeniably short, or even Jooheon bursting out laughing at his indignation would be acceptable (okay, not really, but then Gun would have a confirmation that it was a prank, indeed, and he needs to start planning a prank of his own as payback).

What is _not_ — definitely not, no, scratch that, he _can’t_ have done that — acceptable is the weird, wide-eyed look Jooheon sends his way.

“What?” is his answer, jaw slack, and Gun has a _feeling_.

“Wait. You didn’t tell anyone we’re dating?” he asks, dreading the answer, because if he _didn’t‒_

“Of course I didn’t!” Jooheon denies vehemently and — woah, dude, calm down, it’s not the end of the world. (even because Gun would be an _amazing_ boyfriend, thank you very much)

Okay — focus, _focus_ . If Gun didn’t say anything, and _Jooheon_ hasn’t said anything, this can only mean one thing:

“I think they’re playing a prank on us.” and the worst is: it makes _sense_ . While it’s not common for them to side against each other, they _do_ tag along a lot and play pranks on everyone else. It wouldn’t be the first time their friends try to play a prank on them — it would just be one of the few times they actually _succeed_ . (in retrospect, Gun couldn’t be possibly waiting for _Minho_ to take sides — Shownu, okay, he knows that Secretly In The Quiet Of His Room Shownu _loves_ their prank wars, but Minho’s his cousin, he’s supposed to take _Gun’s_ side or something, not — not this)

Jooheon doesn’t seem to be following his line of thought — in fact, he seems still rather stuck on the “our friends think we’re dating” part.

“Wait. So you mean this was all those weird messages this morning were about?” he asks, as if suddenly _everything_ makes sense, but Gun’s mind is somewhere else entirely.

He’s, of course, wondering how to turn the situation to their favor. And he thinks he might have an idea.

“Jooheon. Jooheon, I think we should start _dating_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning on having the next chapter finished by friday, tops, but it depends if school will have me busy, and if I'll be able to finish this week's prompt 'til the deadline D: ~~anyway~~
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it! \õ


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ~~I'm not turning this into an angst fest, I say, as angst slowly seeps through my writing~~  
>  I really don't know what happened, tho D: I mean, the original version of this chapter had been a lot more humorous, but it didn't sound quite right, and when I re-wrote it it kinda turned out like this? Like??? I??????  
> Anyway.  
> It's been almost a month D: I haven't even been able to finish the bingo, I mean? My last prompt was time travel au and my plot is still scattered all around the place and I can't write it because apparently I have no self control and my life is a mess?? D:  
> ...  
> Okay, I'm rambling.  
> I hope you can enjoy this chapter? D:

(Jooheon's brain short-circuits for a second. Not necessarily because he's still kinda stuck on the fact that apparently his friends —  _ all of them _ — think he's dating Gun, but because — what the fucking hell is his best friend even talking about?)

("You're crazy. Absolutely crazy.")

("No, no, hear me out! This  _ has _ to be it! I mean, remember the thing with the jeans? It wasn't that long ago. Even Shownu wanted to kill us, and you know how much he rather prefers just sitting out and watching us kill  _ each other _ . They must be trying to get back to us.")

(... Well. It makes sense — in a very vague way. Jooheon can clearly remember Gun running around while Hyungwon, of all people, threatened to dye his hair the same tone of that jeans of his; in retrospect they hadn't known his  _ favourite pair _ would be on the washing machine, otherwise they wouldn't have put the paint there  _ that day _ .)

(On the other hand, he also distinctively remembers the incident with the glitter and not finding a way to get rid of the damn sparkly thing that seemed to be  _ everywhere _ despite how much he vacuumed the apartment — it's been a few months and Kihyun has been banned since, but it's still a worthy payback.)

("I'm not really sure this makes any sense, but... What are you thinking about?")

  
  


Kihyun is eyeing them suspiciously when they enter the kitchen, and Jooheon resists the urge to squirm under the scrutinization.

_ We're so fucked if (when) he finds out _ is the only thing running through his mind, and, honestly, he should've just scoffed at Gun's plan and denied everything despite that mischievous grin of his — the same grin Jooheon's never been able to deny anything to because despite his appearance he's actually rather soft (Minhyuk's words, not his). It was stupid, it sounded stupid, not only the plan — some cheesy, dramatic plot-like thing Gun probably got from a rom com or something — but the whole prank thing, and maybe the only way of really getting back at their friends was pretending nothing had happened instead of going along with the lie — but, honestly, what did they even think would be their reaction? Because Jooheon's certainly not embarrassed or offended at the 'accusation' of dating his best friend and, wow, weird train of thought right there, but he's had years of practice from random people acting as if they were together and it's not like there would be anything wrong if they were actually dating (which they're not but that's besides the point).

Maybe Jooheon should've thought better before agreeing. Maybe he could've considered all kind of ways how this could go south and it's really "not-him" to make decisions like this, in the spur of the moment, mostly because it's usually the kind of thing that brings consequences he's not keen on having to deal with but — a traitorous part of his mind keeps telling him how  _ easy _ it would be, and he can't help but to be mad at their friends for joking around like this. Jooheon's not confused — he knows himself in a way few people do, even when he's not really sure what to do with his life —, not even this tiny bit, but he knows that if he were, if he had the slightest doubt or fear or internalized hate of anything of sorts, really — the entire situation would be fucked up. He’s had his fair share of self-hatred during high school already, and that’s not something he wants to go back to.

So, yeah, he's mad. Yeah, this is probably one of the stupidest things he's ever agreed to (ignoring that one time when they were fourteen but he's  _ not _ talking about that again,  _ ever _ ), but he can't find it in himself to regret it.

(Yet.)

"So..." Kihyun's the first to break what probably seems like an awkward silence from his point of view. "Is it true, then, what Minhyuk's told me? Are you guys actually dating?"

And Jooheon gives Gun a look because — well, fuck. If this is part of the prank and Kihyun's just messing around with them, telling him 'no' will throw their plans out the window. On the other hand, if he actually doesn't know what's happening and they unknowingly drag him along, this means they're literally giving him a 'jail-free' card from his previous banment from their prank wars (which can be translated as: everyone's going to murder them — it'll be their own fault for even starting the whole thing but it's not like they'll care about specifics).

Gun's answer is a tiny, discreet shrug that probably translates into something along the lines of "your choice" even though Jooheon's pretty sure he doesn't want him to call it quits and deny the statement. And there — in the silent communication between them, the fact that even after he agreed Gun is giving him the chance to drop out, to change his mind — is where their triumph lies, maybe. It's kind of like breathing. Jooheon has known Gun for most of his life. When people comment on their closeness, it's not only in the sense of  _ trusting _ each other — they're actually close, as in, their friendship is a lot physical. It's as natural to Jooheon to drop his arms around Gun's shoulders when they walk side by side as it is to Gun to kiss his cheek comfortingly when he thinks Jooheon needs some cheering. That's what it is:  _ natural _ . Easy. A few new habits squeezed into that, and Jooheon knows, he just  _ knows _ , that they can actually fool everyone.

The catchy part? It's not even gonna be  _ weird _ . It's not gonna be awkward, and Jooheon doesn't think it could ever be, because they've already been through some really strange situations before and nothing's changed.

So he nods his head along. He nods his head along and listens to the mischievous part of his mind that tells him,  _ give it a go _ , stuffing his chest proudly, with as much confidence as he can muster up, and boldly grabbing Gun's hands to hold between his own .

"Yeah. We are."

  
  


(In retrospect, he  _ should _ have thought better about the whole situation — maybe then he would've realized it made no sense at all, anything. The way it was, he didn't even  _ consider _ it was his own fault everyone thought they were dating. And he will blame himself later, sure, but how on Earth would he come up that it was because  _ he _ hadn't been paying attention and accidentally confessed to a life-long hidden romance between him and his best friend while  _ messaging _ said best friend and pretending to hear whatever the hell Minhyuk had been talking about?)

(Fuck his life, honestly.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~i have no idea what i'm doing anymore lol~~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three ~~yEARS~~ months later and here am I, asking myself what is happening. I did not give up on this fic, I SWEAR, it's just... My muse keeps running away from me and? I? Can't understand why??
> 
> Anyway.
> 
> This was supposed to be a Gun chapter. It wasn't part of the plan, initially, to have a chapter to each, but it happened on the first chapters and then suddenly it was part of the plan. But writing this chapter just didn't work out with Gun, so I wrote Jooheon instead.  
>  ~~does this make any sense or am I rambling~~  
>  Also, I just realized: people in my story never work, never study, never have anything to do other than keep going on with the plot. Nothing makes sense anymore.
> 
> I ended up enjoying writing this chapter (things ended up flowing nicely enough, I guess?), but I'm really sorry if it's not of your liking ç-ç

Kihyun stares at them for the full of 0.5 seconds before shrugging and going back to his things.

“Nice.” he says. Which. Anticlimactic. Absolutely anticlimactic. But whatever.

  
  
  


Three days go by. Nothing _changes_ , as in, officially. Sure, the friends he sees everyday — Shownu, Minhyuk, Hyungwon — give him a few weird looks and he receives encouraging smiles a few times, but no one _says_ anything and. Jooheon feels put off. For some reason. He knows everyone has their own lives, of course, and that they’re just minding their own business, but — they’re nosy. They have _always_ been nosy, they just don’t _do_ quiet. And the fact that they’re walking on eggshells around both Gun and him makes him want to — well, he’s not sure what it makes him want to do, but it’s _something_.

  
  
  


**gun.hee:** we should go out

 **gun.hee:** i think

 **gun.hee:** as in

 **gun.hee:** “officially”, i mean

 **gun.hee:** what do you think about dinner with the guys on saturday

 **gun.hee:** is it ok?

 

It’s Thursday. Jooheon has had four entire days to mull over whatever the hell he’s doing with his life (answer: still undecided), and one could say he’s currently doing nothing useful by the kitchen, staring at his glass of water.

(Gun would say he’s moping, but he’s not, okay? Okay.)

 

 **joohoney:** sure

 

Not like he has anything better to do anyway.

  
  
  


Minhyuk positively _beams_ at them. Jooheon feels some kind of dread pooling in his gut because he’s pretty sure this wasn’t supposed to be his friends reaction — or maybe it was, because Gun, by his side, doesn’t seem really affected. It helps easy his anxiousness a bit; he’s sure Gun can feel the way his hand trembles softly under the table, because next thing he knows Gun kisses his cheek in an attempt at comfort and _shit_ everyone is eyeing them in a weird way now.

(Honestly, _whose idea_ was to call almost all of them here? The whole thing feels like a soap opera. But then, maybe that’s the point.)

Still. Still. Jooheon gives Gun the best smile he can manage before turning to their friends.

“Huh. So. Is this gonna become a thing or? The first fifteen minutes were kinda amusing and all but now it’s getting on my nerves.”

It’s not a lie. If there’s one thing he dislikes is being stared at — feeling judged because of something _he’s not ashamed of_ , shouldn’t be ashamed of. Besides, most of their friends never minded the casual closeness he and Gun have always had — it’s not the first nor will it be the last time the other kisses his cheek, why are they acting like it’s something unexpected and out of the blue, fuck.

(It’s not like he even has an actual reason to feel nervous but, shit, he’s — he’s still angry. Knowing himself, it will probably blow up at some point and he really should work better on talking things out with people.)

(He should talk to Gun about it. Gun would understand. Maybe. Or just listen to him until his anger deflates — which would be very nice. Except for the fact that he has to get around actually _doing_ it.)

“Sorry.” Wonho is the first to talk. Despite being one of the most excited (what was that wave of messages the other day, what the actual fuck, Shin Hoseok) for the news, he looks lost. “It’s just﹘ uh. You guys don’t really....” _I dare you to finish that sentence, Shin Hoseok, I dare you_. “Uh.”

“Look any different?” Gun finishes it for him when the other starts squirming, and Jooheon is torn between hitting his head against the table or screaming. Gun is taking things way better than he is and — when did he become the most rational out of the two? Seriously, Jooheon doesn’t get it. Gun is just as short-tempered as him. Maybe. Most of times.

…

Ok, not really, but Jooheon can pretend. Besides, differently of him, Gun is probably having fun with the whole situation, planning way ahead of himself and thinking on how to turn this to their favor. If he hadn’t been so high-strung, Jooheon knows he would be internally snickering at their friends antics too.

“Uh.” Wonho squirms a bit more.

And. It _is_ funny. Kind of. _Ugh_.

(To be quite honest, it’s just the feeling of not being the only one uncomfortable. It’s nice to know someone else would also rather be somewhere else.)

(Also: fuck, why did Gun have to invite so many people?)

(Though he would probably say it’s not “so many people”, it’s just their friends. All of them. Jooheon wants to punch him.)

“Well…” Gun starts, just to be interrupted by Yoonho — of all people.

“Maybe because they’ve always been dating?” when all eyes turn to him, the younger turns a nice shade of pink. “I mean… That’s what you said, right?” and then turns to Minhyuk, who turns to face Jooheon, who turns to face Gun.

(It’s ridiculous. They’re all ridiculous. Himself included. Jooheon hates his life.)

“We haven’t _always_ been dating, just﹘ we've been dating for a long time, that’s all.” how can Gun be so calm about the whole thing, Jooheon has no idea. But then, he’s never been the type to wear his heart on his sleeve, and Jooheon wouldn’t be surprised to know that he’s secretly nervous. “Besides, we do this kind of thing all the time?”

“Well, yeah, but﹘” Seokwon stops and curses softly under his breath. (Jooheon is 75% sure someone just kicked him under the table.)

“It just came off as a surprise to us, that’s all.” Kwangji smiles. Out of everyone, he seems the most comfortable. (Jooheon doesn’t know whether he wants to punch him or to thank him, god bless Kwangji). “Anyway. Are we going to order something to eat or what?”

No one pays them much attention after that, too busy discussing about food. Jooheon is so distracted looking at the menu (and hoping the guys just won’t go with Wonho’s option because if it depended on him all of them would probably live off of ramen and meat for the rest of their lives) that he almost _jumps_ when Gun rests his chin on his shoulder.

“Hey.” Gun whispers when he gives him a look, low enough that Jooheon knows the others aren’t supposed to hear. “You okay? You seem pretty nervous.”

This is his way of telling Jooheon it’s still okay if he wants to quit. That they honestly don’t need to do this. And — he knows this. But he _wants_ to. Maybe.

“Shut up.” he says, and feels a soft blush creeping up his cheeks when Gun chuckles at his stubbornness.

At the far end of the table, Jooheon is almost sure — almost — that Changkyun gives him a thumbs up.

(He head desks. Why is he friends with these people, _oh god_.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I will try to update this more often D:  
>  ~~it's not even supposed to be a long story... I mean, it's gonna be 10 or 12 chapters, maybe.... it depends on how the characters want it to go ;^;~~


End file.
